Separating-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

P. LAUHOPF. SEPARATING MAGHINE. APPLIOATION FILED JULYBI. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

F. LAUHOPP. SEPARATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY31, 1905.

2 SHEETS-$811111 2 WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LAUHOFF, OF DETROIT. MICHIGAN.

SEPARATlNG-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed July 31.1905. Serial No. 272.062.

. chines, of which the following is a specificasection through themachine.

tion, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to machines for effecting an air separation ofmaterials of different gravity or aerial resistance, and is moreparticularly designed for the cleaning of tobacco-leaves.

The invention consists in the means employed for regulating andbalancing the separating air-currents; further, in the peculiarconstruction of a traveling screen and its arrangement in relation tothe air-currents, and, further, in the peculiar construction,arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal Fig. 2 is a crosssectionthereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation viewed from the opposite side of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section adjacent to one of thescreen-feeding rolls. Fig. 5 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 6 is a plan ofa portion of the screen.

In the manufacture of tobacco, and particularly in the manufacture ofcigars, there are certain waste portions of good tobacco which may beused for other purposes. This waste is, however, often collected assweepings from the floor, in association with other material, and beforeit can be used it must be thoroughly cleansed from impurities. Theassociated impurities are, first, dust or fine particles, and, second,larger or heavier impurities, such as pieces of wood, metal, &c.

It is the object of my invention to provide a separator which willeliminate both the lighter and the heavier impurities and one which willnot break up or destroy the tobacco-leaves.

As shown, Ais a suitable casing, in the upper portion of which islocated an exhaustfan B, connected with an outleading conduit C andadapted to create a partial vacuum in the upper portion of the chamber.

D is a screen extending horizontally across the casing A beneath the fanB, and E is a toothed cylinder arranged at one side of the casing inconnection with a correspondinglytoothed concave F.

WVith the arrangement as thus far described the tobacco to be purifiedis fed into a hopper G above the toothed cylinder E, from which itpasses to the latter and is loosened or drawn out by passing around thecylinder and concave into the casing A. Here the loosened leaves will befed into the path of the ascending air-currents created by the fan B andwill be forced upward against the screen D. The heavier impurities willalso enter the casing, but will be dropped to the bottom thereof. On theother hand, the fine light particles will pass through the screen D andthrough the fan B, being forced by the latter out through the conduit C.Such an apparatus will effect a separation; but it is evident that thetobacco-leaves would completely cover the screen, so as to prevent thepassage of 'dust therethrough, and would also check the air-currents, soas to prevent further separation. To avoid this ditliculty, I havearranged a traveling screen, preferably of the following construction: Hand H are rolls journaled in bearings at opposite ends of the casing,the former being preferably arranged in a pocket formed by a convexprojection of the casing I, the screening material D, which is in theform of an endless belt, surrounding the rolls H and H and extendingacross adjacent to the side walls of the-casing A. This screen D isdiagrammatically represented in the drawings, but in actual constructionis of a suitable character to permit of its feeding around the rollswithout breaking the wire as, for instance, by forming it oftransverselyextending interlaced coils, as indicated in Fig. 6. i

It is essential to the successful operation of the device that thescreen should form a complete bar across the path of the air-current, asotherwise a part of the tobacco would be drawn through the open spacesand into the fan. It is, however, a difficult matter to feed ascreen-belt uniformly and without any shifting to one end or the otherof the rolls. This difliculty I have overcome by the followingconstruction: The rolls H and H are provided with a central portion a,over which the body of the screen passes, and at opposite ends of thiscentral portion are reduced portions 1) and I). These reduced endportions are tapered from the outer ends of the rolls inward to theshoulders c at the ends of the portions a, so that the diameter of theroll progressively increases from said shoulder 0 outward. d representsbelts which are attached to the opposite edges of the screen J andsurround the portions b and b of the rolls H and H.

With the construction just described in operation the rotation of therolls H and H will cause the feeding of the belts d, and in accordancewith the law that a belt will always run toward the highest portion ofthe pulley these belts will tend to move oppositely toward the ends ofthe roll. In so doing theywill exert a transverse tension upon thescreen, which will hold the same taut and willll also serve to centerthe screen upon the ro s. 1

To form a joint between the edges of the screen or belts d thereof andthe side walls of the case A, I preferably arrange grooved guides K,which are adjustably clamped to the casing, as by bolts 6. These guidesare arranged in connectionwith the upper and lower sections of thescreen-belt, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Leakage of air :about therolls is prevented by flexible packing-strips L and L, arranged at thetop and bottom of the screen D, Fig. 1, secured to the casing andbearing against the screen. At the opposite 'end is arranged a roll M,which bears against the feeding-roll H and also against the wall of thecasing A, thereby forming a stop for the air-current.

It will be understood from the description above given that thescreen-belt D is continuously fed, so that its lower section will travelin the direction indicated by the arrowi. 6., from left to right inFig. 1. The tobacco being fed from the concave F and cylinder E into thecasing A at the left-hand side thereof, it is evident that an uncloggedscreened surface is constantly presented to the air-current, carryingthe tobacco upward, so as to avoid checking of the current and to permita free passage for the fine particles and dust through the screen.

The movement of thescreen will carry the tobacco held thereagainsttoward the righthand side of the case, where it will pass between therolls H and M, the latter being journaled in slidable bearings pressedtoward the roll H by springs N and which will yield to permit of thepassage of the tobacco. To prevent the tobacco from still adhering tothe screen, a brush 0 is journaled in bearings at the end of the roll Hand is driven to have its contacting bristles travel in the oppositedirection to the screen.

To effect a close separation, it is necessary to accurately balance theair-currents to the weight of the material to be separated. This isaccomplished by arranging a series of adjustable wings orbutterfly-valves P at one side of the casing beneath the screen D, andthese valves are preferably arranged in alinement with an inclinedimperforate wall Q. The effect of the construction is to form within thecasing beneath the screen a chamber R, which expands from the lower endof the partition Q upward and at its upper end has a series of variableinlets S between the valves P. Thus the material which is thrown intothe casing by the rotation of the toothed cylinder Ewill be subject tothe strongest action of the air-current at the lower end of the case,while at the upper end the action is relatively weaker, and this willpermit the separation out of the heavier impurities, while maintainingthe greater portion of the tobacco in suspension. The valves P may beaccurately adjusted to balance the air-current to the weight of thetobacco, and the air admitted through the passages S is directedtransversely and in a direction opposite to the travel of the screen.

The various parts of the mechanism may be driven by any suitableconnection, such as illustrated in Fig. 3, in which T is a belt connection between the large pulley U on the shaft of the cylinder E and asmaller pulley V on the fan-shaft. A belt W connects the small pulley Xon the cylinder-shaft with a larger pulley Y on the shaft of the roll H,5

and the brush 0 is driven by the belt Z, connected to the pulleys Z andZ on the shaft of the roll H.

To regulate the action of the fan, an adjustable gate B is arranged asshown in Fig. 1, and to adjust the butterfly-valves P a commonactuating-bar P is attached to cranks P of the separate valves andlocked in any desired position by the set-nut P From the descriptionalready given the operation of the machine will be understood; but inbrief summary it is as follows: The impure tobacco is fed in the hopperG and falls upon the toothed cylinder E, which disintegrates it'i. 6.,loosens or unrolls the leaves without breakin them. The velocityimparted to the to acco by the cylinder E will throw it into the centralportion of the chamber beneath the screen D, where the ascendingair-current will separate the loosened leaves from the stems, unloosenedportions, and heavy foreign matter. These heavier portions will dropdown to the open space beneath the chamber A and may be subsequentlypassed through the machine again to separate out the good portions.

By reason of the fact that the air admitted through the passages S isdirected laterally and also on account of the downwardly-con tractingform of the chamber a close discrimination between the'material ofdifferent weight is effected. The fine particles and dust will passthrough the screen and fan into the conduit C, and this material may besubsequently subjected to another separation to recover the tobacco-dustfrom the other material.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with a casing andmeans for creating an ascending air-current therein, means forintroducing the material to be separated into said air-current, and ahorizontally-traveling screen for limiting the upward movement of aportion of said material and adapted to carry the same out from saidcasing 2. The combination with a casing and means for creating anascending air-current therein, of a disintegrator adapted to dischargethe material therefrom into said aircurrent, and a horizontallytravelingscreen extending across said casing and limiting the upward movement ofa portion of said material, while permitting the finer portions thereofto continue upward.

3. The combination with a casing and means for creatin an ascendingair-current therein, of means for introducing material to be separatedinto said air-current, a horizontally-traveling screen for limiting theupward movement of a portion of said material, and means for weakeningsaid air-current as it approaches said screen, for the purposedescribed.

4. The combination with a casing and means for creating an ascendingair-current therein, of a traveling screen in said casing, means forfeeding material to be separated into said casing, below said screen andmeans for weakening said air-current as it approaches said screen, forthe purpose described.

5. The combination with a casing and means for creating an ascendingcurrent of air therein, of a traveling screen in said casing, means forfeeding material to be separated into said casing below said screen andan inclined partition in said casing, for the purpose described.

6. The combination with a casing and means for creating an ascendingcurrent of air therein, of a traveling screen in said casing, means forfeeding material to be separated into said casing below said screen, aninclined partition in said casing extending into proximity with saidscreen and having apertures in the portion thereof adjacent to saidscreen, and valves in said apertures, for the purpose described.

7 The combination with a casing and means for creating an ascendingair-current therein, of a traveling screen extending through and beyondsaid casing, transversely through the path of said air-current, meansfor feeding the materials to be separated into said casing below saidscreen, whereby the lighter and finer particles will be carried upthrough said screen, the lighter and coarser materials will be carriedand held against said screen, and carried outside of the casing thereby,and the heavier materials will drop into the lower part of said casing,and means outside of said casing for removing the materials held againstsaid screen, for the purpose described.

8. The combination with a casing and means for creating an. ascendingair-current therein, of a traveling screen extending through and beyondsaid casing transverely through the path of said air-current, means forfeeding the materials to be separated into said casing, and a rotarybrush outside of said casing, for the purpose described.

9. The combination with an endless-belt screen, of a pair of separatedrolls over which said screen passes, belts secured to the opposite edgesof said screen and portions of said rolls over which said belts travel,enlarging in diameter toward the ends of the roll, to exert an oppositedrawing on said screen.

10. The combination with a casing, of means for feeding materials to beseparated into said casing, a traveling screen in said casing above saidfeeding means, and means for creating an ascending current of air insaid casing, whereby the desired material will be held against saidscreen, while fine light particles of material will be carried throughsaid screen and heavier particles will fall toward the bottom of saidcasing, for the purpose described.

11. The combination with a casing, of means for feeding materials to beseparated therein, a traveling screen in said casing above said feedingmeans, means for creating an ascending air-current in said casing, andmeans for regulating the velocity of said current in proximity to saidscreen, for the purpose described.

12. The combination With a casing and means for creating an ascendingair-current therein, of a traveling screen in said casing, means forfeeding materials to be separated into the path of said air-current,whereby a portion of said materials is carried against said screen, anda rotary brush for removing said materials from said screen.

13. The combination with a separatingchamber, of a traveling screenagainst the under side of which the material separated is held bysuction, and means for positively feeding the material in contact withsaid screen out from said chamber while preventing the ingress of air.

14. The combination with a separatingchamber, of a traveling screenpassing out from said chamber, means for creating an upward air-currentwithin said chamber, to effect a separation and to hold the materialseparated against the under side of said screen, a roll bearing againstsaid screen forming a positive feed for said material in ber, and aroller-gate for preventing the in- 19 contact with the screen, and anair-gate for gress of air and permitting egress of the mapreventingingress of air. i terial in contact with said screen.

15. The combination with a separating- In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature chamber, of a screen extending across said inpresence of twowitnesses. chamber, in the path of the air-current there- I FRANKLAUHOFF. in, and against which the material separated Witnesses: is heldby air-pressure, means for feeding said JAs. P. BARRY,

screen constantly outward from said cham- AMELIA WILLIAMS.

